Jennifer Grisham, EdD
Experiences: Jennifer Grisham, Ed.D. received her doctorate in Education with an emphasis in early childhood special education. She is a Professor in the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education program and faculty director of the Early Childhood Laboratory School. She teaches courses in assessment and instructional design/implementation. Dr. Grisham has been named a Teacher who Made a Difference on two separate occasions. Dr. Grisham is co-author of two books on blended practices in early childhood education (Blended Practices in Early Childhood Education (2017, 2005) and Blended Assessment Practices in Early Childhood Education [2011). As well, she co-authored a book entitled Reach for the Stars: Planning for the Future (2013), which is used to support families of young children to plan for their children’s future and articulate their priorities to educational team members. Dr. Grisham has directed or co-directed numerous state and federal grants in the areas of personnel preparation, program evaluation, training and technical assistance, model development, and research, including the Kentucky Deaf-Blind Project. Her research interests include authentic assessment, tiered instruction, and inclusion of children with disabilities. In those areas, she has authored/co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. As well, she is frequently asked to provide professional development to state departments of education, universities, and local education agencies on topics on which she conducts research throughout the country, as well as internationally. Grisham is a member of the Early Intervention Management and Research Group, where she is a part of a team of professionals that lead development and research on the Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS) (3rd edition). As well, she led the field study research for the test. Finally, Dr. Grisham is co-founder of a children’s home and preschool in Guatemala. Since 2009, she has taken students from the College of Education to Guatemala for a summer education abroad experience. She is also planning a second education abroad experience for students to go to South Africa and work in preschools in the Ulindi region.